The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has officially opened nominations for its 2026 presidential primaries, with the process set to close on Thursday, August 28, 2025.
Interested aspirants are required to pay a non-refundable application fee of GH₵100,000. In addition to the application fee, the filing fee stands at GH₵500,000—bringing the total cost of entry to GH₵600,000.
Announcing the move at a press briefing in Accra on Tuesday, July 29, NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong said the primaries are scheduled to be held on January 31, 2026.
“I’m happy to announce to you that we have officially opened nominations for our party members to become presidential candidates of our party for the 2028 elections,” Mr. Frimpong declared.
The nomination window opened on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, and will run for exactly one month, closing on August 28.
The GH₵600,000 total fee has sparked renewed discussion about the financial barriers facing political aspirants in Ghana. While political parties often justify such fees as necessary for covering the organisational costs of their internal elections, critics argue that these high costs limit participation to only the wealthy or those with substantial backing, potentially marginalising grassroots candidates and undermining political inclusivity.
The NPP’s decision to conduct early primaries is a strategic move aimed at giving its eventual flagbearer ample time—at least two years—to campaign and market himself to the electorate ahead of the 2028 general elections. The 2028 polls will be particularly crucial as the incumbent president, John Mahama, will be constitutionally ineligible to contest.
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Story by Sika Togoh|univers.ug.edu.gh
